On deciding to paint your house before you move out
After an initial panic I swing into gear and go
full throttle. I’ve always found action stations to be the best way to combat
stress or uncertainty.
With not enough to do before we move to the
country, I decided to finish painting the house – a work in progress that
started more than ten years ago. The laundry was undercoated before the Lovely
Deputy put a deposit down on our new home. But with the news, I immediately moved
on to the sunroom and now the blackcurrant feature wall in the kitchen is gone.
Painting is all I’ve done in my spare time since the contract was signed.
A number of people, including The Other Girl, have
said ‘STOP PAINTING!’
It’s a little counterintuitive don’t you think? To
paint my house before I rent it out. To do all this work and not enjoy the
fruit of my labour. Moreover, to do it for tenants who won’t have the same
investment in this house and probably won't even notice.
Then I was making my hundredth trip to K and D
hardware at Derwent Park. Driving along the Main Road with its takeaways,
homemaker stores and auto shops, I saw the light industrial suburb I live in again
with fresh eyes.
I have loved living in Moonah. There’s so much life
here: people everywhere going about their days; the supermarket down the road;
fifteen minutes into work on the bus; its cultural diversity and artistic
community; and the emerging café and restaurant scene.
I realised why I need to paint before I move to the
country.
It’s a gift to my home. It shows it’s a place that
is cared for and my hope that it will remain so.
It’s also making the house look different to what it has
been for most of my time here. I’ve started the process of changing the space
that won’t ever be the same again.
Painting my marvellous Moonah home is like a giant
hug goodbye as we both go on our new journeys, au revoir and bon voyage!
Expect more posts on moving to the country!
